Hana no koro o kage ni utsuseba aki no yo no tsuki mo nomori no kagami narikeri

花の頃を影に映せば秋の夜の
月も野守の鏡なりけり

Roma-ji: Hana no koro o kage ni utsuseba aki no yo no tsuki mo nomori no kagami narikeri
English Translation: Since it now reflects
the moor in its flowering time
in its shining light,
the moon of the autumn night
is the warden's mirror too.
Meaning: Since it reflects the moor in its time of flowers in its light, the autumn night's moon too is a moor warden's mirror.
Commentary: Autumn Poems 389

Headnote: "Flowers of the moor before the moon"
The topic is the flowers of the moor before the moon. Since the autumn moon reflects in its light the moor with its flowers in full bloom, the moon too, the poet finds, is a moor warden's mirror. The moonlight that brings the flowers of the moor into view is likened to a mirror reflecting the fields.
Nomori no kagami, the moor warden's mirror, is a phrase used in waka likening water in the fields that reflects things to a mirror. Following the preceding poem, in which the moonlight lets one see the flowers of the moor even at night, this one likens that moon to a mirror reflecting the flowers.

First line, “hana no koro o”: a hypermetric line of six syllables, the moor in its flowering time.
Second line, “kage ni utsuseba”: kage is moonlight, since it reflects it in its light.
Third line, “aki no yo no”: modifying tsuki in the fourth line.
Fourth line, “tsuki mo nomori no”: the moon too, the moor warden's; nomori is a watchman of the fields.
Fifth line, “kagami narikeri”: keri expresses realization, closing with the figure of the moon as the warden's mirror.
Author: Saigyō
Source: Sankashu
Prev Poem: Tsuki naku wa kureba yado e ya kaeramashi nobe ni wa hana no sakari naritomo
Next Poem: Tsuki no iro o hana ni kasanete ominaeshi uwamo no shita ni tsuyu o kaketaru